"The cold's okay with me, baby!" declared Kim Brooks, of Madisonville, a 45-year-old owner of a graphics design business. "We need something to liven up downtown. This will bring in people, visitors and new vitality."

Brooks was dancing to the thumping beat of music blaring outside as the casino prepared to open. Next to her in line was Rhonda Claiborne, 50, of Downtown.

"I'm very excited they're bringing something downtown," she said. "I'm ready to go in there and win some money."

Not everybody planned to take a chance at the slots or tables.

"We're parrotheads -- we don't get a chance to open a Margaritaville everyday," said Rob Hamilton, a 50-year-old freight supervisor, who drove in from Louisville for Monday's opening. "I've been to almost half of them. I'm not here for the casino."

The new casino also brought additional restaurants to Cincinnati.

TV personality and “Iron Chef” Bobby Flay was in town to oversee the opening of Bobby’s Burger Palace, the first Midwestern location in his chain. The burgers on the menu are inspired by his travels around the United States – Napa Valley, Dallas and Santa Fe.

“I have no chefisms about American cheese. It melts well and really is the best choice for a cheeseburger.”

The eatery also makes its own ice cream for signature shakes, like pistachio and the alcoholic vanilla caramel bourbon shake.Asked at a media event Monday if he’d consider whether Graeter’s black raspberry chip might make a good shake, he immediately asked someone to go pick up five gallons so he could get to work on it.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, with seating for 400, also opened Monday night. The tropical-themed eatery offered customers live music and its signature margaritas and specialty dishes like jerk salmon and Baja fish tacos. Bedecked with fake palm trees, a tin-roof bar with walls painted depicting blue skies, the eatery was set up to offer a bit of island getaway amid the bustle of the gaming floor.

Costing more than $450 million, the casino was authorized by Ohio voters in 2009 along with three other casinos -- in Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo. The Columbus casino opened in October, and the other two opened in May.

The casino employs 1,700 workers, and it is projected to generate $300 million in gambling revenue. About $100 million of that will go to Ohio taxpayers under the state’s 33 percent gambling tax.

The 400,000-square-foot complex features 2,000 slot machines, 87 gambling tables and a 31-table World Series of Poker room. It also features six sit-down restaurants. Besides Margaritaville and Bobby’s Burger Palace are Jack Binion’s Steak, the Spread Buffet, Cafe Italia and Starbucks Coffee.